“If you do not have a prayer life, your spirituality is going nowhere.”
Stephen Kass
WHO IS STEPHEN KASS?
Stephen Kass is a speaker, educator and specialist in Catholic adult faith formation and catechesis.
Professor Kass has led and participated in numerous retreats, parish missions, conferences and workshops across the country. He worked as a program coordinator at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology and teaches Sports and Spirituality and Saints Alive! for the Department of Catholic Studies. Prof. Kass has edited and written numerous articles for various Catholic publications and has been featured on several different national Catholic radio programs. He is also a veteran and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for 14 years where he completed several overseas deployments that included a joint tour with an airborne USMC Special Operations team. Prof. Kass is an Executive Vice President with 5, a national energy consulting and advisory firm based in Dallas, TX.
In this episode, Pamela talks to Stephen Kass about the Easter season and how Easter should be our way of life. He explains: i. What is the significance of Easter? ii. Why should it be our way of life beyond fifty days? iii. How can we prolong the disciplines of lent going forward in our life? iv. What are some ways Easter has slowly changed your own spirituality?
Easter and Lent as a preparation to complete Life’s mission
I found Stephen through his article on Easter. There’s a treasure trove of articles on Lent but barely anything on Easter. Our emphasis as Christians is mostly on Lent and once Easter comes, it seems that our season abruptly ends.
Stephen has spent a lot of time with his Lenten preparation year after year. From pruning various things in his life and careful introspection, he has worked on his path to holiness. He shares on this episode, how he and his wife have evaluated continuing what adds to their spiritual life and discontinuing what doesn’t. He gives examples of what to do when we backslide. However, he also insists, this is a long journey. I love one of his quotes.
If you think you’re going to have it all figured out after one season of Lent, you are crazy!
Stephen Kass
What are you doing this Easter?
The one thing I realized from listening to Stephen is that Lent is the preparation. Easter season seem to be the heats. But the real race is the life after Easter where all the preparation and discipline of Lent comes front and center for application. All the disciplines we develop over 5 weeks, now must be put into practice. And every Lent is a new preparatory season to add a new virtue or skill that will equip us on our mission of life. Stephen makes it clear that we are all called to something. Lent should make us re-evaluate how it will shape our mission of life. Easter is a season of hope. No matter where you are and how far you are from the Lord, He is still with you, waiting for you with arms open wide. He is just one prayer away. What will you do this Easter season?
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